Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigerator including: an ice maker. The ice maker includes a tray; a water supplier configured to supply water into the tray; a heater configured to heat water supplied into the tray; a cooler configured to cool the tray; a condensate collector configured to collect water vapor from the tray, separate the collected water vapor into condensate and air, and transfer the separated condensate to the water supplier; and a controller configured to control the water supplier and the heater to generate the water vapor by raising a temperature of water supplied into the tray above a boiling point, and controlling the cooler to turn water, of which a dissolved air concentration is reduced due to the generation of the water vapor, in the tray into ice.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 an ice maker including:
 a tray, 
 a water supplier configured to supply water into the tray, 
 a heater configured to heat water supplied into the tray, 
 a cooler configured to cool the tray, 
 a condensate collector configured to collect water vapor from the tray, separate the collected water vapor into condensate and air, and transfer the separated condensate to the water supplier, and 
 a controller configured to control the water supplier and the heater to generate the water vapor by raising a temperature of water supplied into the tray above a boiling point, and controlling the cooler to turn water, of which a dissolved air concentration is reduced due to the generation of the water vapor, in the tray into ice. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pump configured to perform a pumping operation to adjust an internal pressure of the tray upon water being supplied to the tray,   wherein the controller is configured to control the water supplier to supply water into the tray while controlling the pump to lower the internal pressure of the tray below an external pressure of the refrigerator.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 2 , wherein
 the condensate collector is configured to transfer air separated from the collected water vapor to the pump.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to control the cooler to cool the tray, based on an internal pressure of the tray exceeding a threshold after supplying water into the tray.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a condensate confluent pipe connecting the condensate collector and the water supplier, and   a condensate confluent pipe valve configured to open and close the condensate confluent pipe,   wherein the controller is configured to control the condensate confluent pipe valve to close the condensate confluent pipe upon water being supplied to the tray through the water supplier, and to open the condensate confluent pipe upon condensate being supplied from the condensate collector to the water supplier.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a condensate confluent pipe connecting the condensate collector and the water supplier, and   a confluent valve configured to selectively open and close the condensate confluent pipe and the water supplier,   wherein the controller is configured to control the confluent valve to close the condensate confluent pipe and to open the water supplier upon water being supplied to the tray through the water supplier, and to open the condensate confluent pipe and close the water supplier upon condensate being supplied from the condensate collector to the water supplier.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the heater extends along the water supplier so as to be adjacent to the water supplier. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 7 , wherein the heater is adjacent to the tray so as to be positioned to heat the tray. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the water supplier includes a water supply valve controlled by the controller to open and close the water supplier. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the cooler includes a refrigerant pipe adjacent to the tray. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant pipe is adjacent to the condensate collector to cool water vapor collected in the condensate collector. 
     
     
         12 . A method of controlling a refrigerator, comprising:
 heating water by a heater and supplying the heated water to a tray of an ice maker by a water supplier so as to generate water vapor by raising a temperature of water supplied into the tray above a boiling point;   cooling the tray by a cooler so as to turn water, of which a dissolved air concentration is reduced due to the generation of the water vapor, in the tray into ice; and   collecting water vapor from the tray by a condensate collector, separating the collected water vapor into condensate and air, and transferring the separated condensate to the water supplier.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the supplying the heated water to the tray includes lowering an internal pressure of the tray below an external pressure of the refrigerator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transferring the separated condensate to the water supplier includes transferring air separated from the collected water vapor to a pump configured to adjust an internal pressure of the tray. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cooling the tray includes cooling the tray, based on an internal pressure of the tray exceeding a threshold after supplying water into the tray.